US1419992A - Extension steps - Google Patents

Description

1.- szc'zu'nEK. EXTENSION STEPS. APPLICATION min MAY 4. 192 1.

1,419,992. PaoentedJune20Q1922.

- zsuzns-sum 2. I

- avwwtz Jag Szqzuv e K JOE SZCZUREK, OF CHICAGO HEIGrHlS, ILLINOIS.

EXTENSION STEPS.

T all 10 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, don Szcznnnn, a citi- Zen of Poland, residing at Chicago Heights, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extension Steps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in aassen er railwa 1 cars and aarticularl' to improvements in the construction of the steps leading from and into the vestibules of such cars.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide steps which are capable of being lengthened or shortened simultaneously with the operation of the step covers by compressed air in the jmanner as for instance described in my co-pending application Ser. No. 442,049, filed February 3, 1921, now

Patent No. 1,382,143, dated June 21, 1921.-

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of novel and improved means for automatically extending or lengthening the steps when the step covers are operated to open access to the steps for allowing passengers to alight from a train stopping at a station, o'r'to board such a train.

It is a well known fact that with the steps now in use the last foot board must be kept well above the ground while the train is moving 'in order to clear all obstructions along the road and that anattendant must place a separate foot stool or the like upon the station platform in order to accommodate alighting or boarding passengers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of simple yet eflicientoperating means for, the extension and shortening of the steps operating simultaneously with the means for opening or raising the step covers.

Specification of Letters Patent. lP-wfgrgntqgd Jung 2Q 1922 Application filed May 4, 1921.

Serial 1V0. 466,725.

Figure 8 is an end elevation of the car step constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a rear view thereof seen along line 4-4 of Figure 3 with the step in extended position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 on an enlarged scale with the step retracted, and

Figure 6 is a detail side view of the opera ting lever and spring in their car step extending position.

Referring tothe drawings in detail, the numeral 10 designates the bottom of a car 11 having step covers 12 adapted to be operated by means of the piston rods 13 of pistons working in air cylinders 14 secured to the car bottom 10.

Each pair of cylinders '14 011 one side of the longitudinal center line of the car bottom is supplied with compressed air through a pipe 15, controlled by a valve 16 in the manner described in the above named copending application.

The step covers 12 are hingedly secured to the car bottom and each has a hinge pintle 17 which is extended through the car bot tom to form an operating arm 18 ending in a hook 19. i

This arm 18 has secured thereto intermediate its length one end of a rod 20, the

other end of which is forked and secured to the end of the piston rod 13, while a spring 21 is coiled around the rod and has one of its ends secured to the fork 22 with which the rod 20 is secured to the arm 18, while the other end of said spring is secured to an eye.

23 on cylinder 14. g

The car steps 24 have side elements 25 and 26, the upper ends of which are secured in the usual manner to the inner edges limiting the opening in the car bottom covered by the step covers 12.

The upper and. lower edges of the side elements 25 and 26 are provided with flanges 2'? turned over to form guides for extension plates 28 provided with longitudinal slots 2.) in which stop pins 30 are guided for limiting the up and downward movement of the extension plate 28 guided with the upper and lower edges in the guides formed by flanges 27 The lower ends of the extension plates are connected by a foot board 31 and a movable plate 32 hingedly secured at its upper edge to the lowest foot board of the step 24 as at 33, and extending with its lower divided edge 34 below the foot board 81 and resting with its rear face against a transverse rod 35.

A toggle comprising two arms 36 and 37,

the meeting ends of which are pivotally connected as at 38, is pivotally secured with the upper end of its arm 36 as at 36 to a bracket 39 on the underside of the car bottom, while the lower end of arm 37 is pivotally secured, as at 40, to the end of a bracket 4-1 secured to the underside of the foot board 31.

The arm 36 has an upper projection or nose 42 and the arm 37 has a lower projec-w tion or nose 43, and the ends of a strong coiled spring at are attached to the noses 42 and 43 respectively.

This spring has the tendency to normally keep the arms 36 and 37 in an angular position to each other by drawing the noses 42 and 43 towards each. other. and armr 36 is provided with a flange 15 at its rear edge adapted to be engaged by the hook 19.

The device operates as follows- Upon the operation of the piston in the air cylinder the pintle 17 will be operated to turn the car step cover 12 around its hinges into its elevated or open position allowing access to the step 24:. At the same time the hook 19 will engag the flange 45 of arm 86 forcing the same inwardly so that the arms are brought out of their normal angular position into alignment against the tension of spring 445. This operation by virtue of the connection of the lower end of the arm 37 with the foot board connecting the sliding plates 28 will operate said sliding bars or plates 29 to extend from their guides which will be further assisted by the rotation of plate 32 around its hinges 38 and engagement between its edge 34; with the rear edge of the foot board 31. By this means another foot step will be added to the step 24: enabling a convenient alighting from the trainer boarding the same.

It will be clear that upon the closure of the step cover 12 the parts will operate in the reverse order to draw the extension plates 28 in and the last foot board 31 upwardly against the face of the hinged plate 32. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Operating means for the extension of the steps of passenger railway cars comprising in combination with air operated step covers, a toggle having its arms pivotally connected at its inner meeting ends, a spring for normally holding said arms in an angular position, and an operating lever adapted to engage one of said arms upon the operation of the step cover, operating means for opening said covers for bringing both arms of said toggle into alignment to extend the steps, said spring adapted to shorten said extension upon the disengagement of said operating lever from the arm of said toggle by drawing the arms thereof into the normal angular position.

2. Operating means for the extension of the steps of passenger railway cars having air operated step covers each comprising a toggle having its arms pivotally connected at the inner meeting ends, the upper of said arms pivotally secured to a bracket secured at the car bottom in rear of the steps, the lower end of said arms pivotally secured to a bracket of the lowermost foot board of the extension, a nose at the upper end of one of said arms and at the lower end of the other arm, a coiled spring connecting the noses of said arms and adapted to normally draw the same together to hold said arms in an angular position to each other, and means for leading said arms into alignment to extend the extension upon the operation of the car door and step covers for opening the same, said spring drawing the extension back into its normal position upon the closing of said step covers.

3. A device of the class described comprising in combination with air operated step covers for railway passenger cars and the steps thereof, flanges on the side elements of said steps, pins on said side elements, sliding plates guided between the flanges of said side elements and having longitudinal slots for engagement by said pins to limit the relative movements of said plates on said elements, a foot board connecting the lower ends of said slide plates, a plate hinged at its upper edge to the lowermost foot board of the steps and engaging with its lower edge the rear of the foot'board connecting said sliding plates, means for extending said sliding plates over the lower ends of said side elements upon the opening operation of the step cover and for drawing said sliding plates back into their normal position upon the closing operation of said step cover.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOE SZCZUREK.

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